Graduate Fashion Week to sell at Selfridges

Selfridges has teamed up with Graduate Fashion Week to stage a graduate style Pop Up Shop in its London store.

This is the first time GFW has collaborated with a major fashion retailer providing graduates the opportunity to sell their designs to a broader audience, without worrying about agents, intermediaries, or manufacturers. In fact, the full retail price of any garments sold, will be returned directly to the graduate by Selfridges.

The students which have been invited by Selfridges buying team to participate are Victoria Moore and Lilli Rose Wicks from Somerset College of Arts & Technology, Hannah Liddle from Winchester School of Art, Southampton University, Duncan Shaw from Nottingham Trent School of Art & Design, Orsolya Szabo from Northumbria University – BA Hons Fashion, Sarah Ormanroyd from Faculty of the Arts at Thames Valley University, Jessica Clark from Manchester Metropolitan University, Alexis Gane and Jasper Chadprajong (joint River Island Gold Award Winner) from Ravensbourne College of Design & Communication, Gemma Leakey from The Arts Institute at Bournemouth, and Kelly Shaw, University of East London (the Runner Up for the River Island Gold Award).

A total of 20 garments were selected by the buying team from Selfridges Contemporary, Casual and Spirit Department, at GFW’s first Gala Show last month.

River Island Gold Award Judge, Victoria Beckham has already snapped up three of the garments from Kelly Shaw’s Gala collection.

The Pop Up Shop will be located in Selfridges Contemporary and Spirit Department on the first floor of the Oxford Street store.

www.selfrdiges.com
7 August 2007

Giles Deacon launches Intel laptop design

London Fashion Week darling Giles Deacon has designed a covetable new print for Intel laptops. His tribal-inspired design comes in both pink and blue, male and female design on the Asus notebooks. Launched in Selfridges this week, only 150 of each design will be produced and numbered. The recommended retail price is £1,499.

Giles recently collaborated with Mulberry and New Look and is also the designer behind the new Daks Luxury line, which shows in Milan Fashion Week. Last year Giles was named designer of the year at the Swarovsky British Style Awards, the equivalent to the Oscar's for a British designer.

www.selfridges.com
26 July 2007

Brian Eno exhibition at Selfridges

Selfridges is hosting the Luminous exhibition by Brian Eno. This is Eno's first large-scale installation of 77 Million Paintings in London and is his latest work from over 30 years as a visual artist. It uses multiple monitors to display a constantly evolving painting, generated from handmade images, randomly combined by computers, creating an ever-changing ‘painting' consisting of hand-made elements that evolve into almost countless variations.

Watch all 77 million possibilities and listen as layers if this trademark ambient audio mean that you never hear the same thing twice. This is a true marriage of sound and image. The exhibition runs in the Ultra Lounge of Selfridges' Lower Ground Floor until 11 March.

www.selfridges.co.uk
28 February 2007

Selfridges to reveal healthy profits

Selfridges, when it releases sales figures this week, is expected to announce the July bombings in 2005 did not affect profit, despite anticipated fears the independently-owned store would be hit hard. Figures will reveal trading profit rose by 14 per cent to £49m over the year to January 2006 for the group's four stores. Sales increased by 2 percent to £538m. Selfridges will further reveal it is planning a £10m overhaul of its Oxford Street flagship.

Paul Kelly, Selfridges' chief executive, stated the solid figures for the year to the end of January 2006 were all the more pleasing because they included the period of the London terror attacks, after which tourism collapsed. Selfridges in Birmingham saw double-digit sales growth over the year, while the retailer's two Manchester stores faced tougher trading conditions. Sales for the current financial year continue to grow by double digits. The London refurbishment will see a revitalised men's accessory department, a 30,000sq ft Mecca called Room of Wonder. which will sell jewellery, watches, gifts, wine and flowers when it opens next August. "We have spent two years working on this," stated Kelly.

Earlier this year Selfridges introduced its mens Superbrands Room, which sells luxury clothing from labels such as Balenciaga, Missoni, Jil Sander and Prorsum. The groundfloor is also expected to undergo refurbishment, with womens accessories proving to be one of the major profit-making rooms for the store. Selfridges is owned by the Canadian billionaire, Galon Weston, who purchased the company in 2003. Weston also owns luxury retailers Brown Thomas in Ireland and Hold Renfrew in Canada.

www.selfridges.com
27 November 2006

Vera Wang Bridal at Selfridges

Vera Wang has brought her bridal collection to London , with the opening of a bridal boutique in Selfridges. The shop-in-shop is a partnership with The Wedding Shop, which sold Vera Wang Bridal exclusively in the UK for seven years. The boutique, which is located on the lower ground floor, was created by architect Russell Jones. The gowns, which are said to be the department stores only source of bridal wear, retail for about $8,000 on average. Bridal accessories and Vera Wang's fragrances will also be available. Wang has recently expanded with the opening of bridal boutiques in Athens , Singapore , Seoul and Jakarta . It has also opened a boutique in Brown Thomas in Dublin , which, like Selfridges, is owned by the Weston family. “With our success at Brown Thomas, there was already a relationship, so we thought Selfridges was a great opportunity,” Susan Sokol, president of Vera Wang Apparel Divisions, told WWD. She said that the UK business had enjoyed extremely strong double-digit gains during the past few seasons. “Outside of our New York store, London is the second-biggest market for us,” she said.

www.verawang.com
25 July 2006

Selfridges may house shoplifters

Selfridges, the UK department store famous for its directional fashion offer, may soon house cells for the detention of people suspected of shop crimes. The Oxford Street flagship confirmed it had been approached by the Metropolitan Police (Met) but said talks were still at a very early stage. It is thought the Met wants to convert old staff offices into cells for shoplifters and credit card fraudsters who commit crimes on Oxford Street .

Officers could use the facilities to deal with offenders more quickly. The Metropolitan Police would not name the store they said they were in talks with about the project.

A spokeswoman told BBC News: "At certain times of the year we have an influx of thieves on Oxford Street and a holding area nearby would mean we would be able to get police back on the beat more quickly. "It would be for non-violent, non-threatening offenders. But this scheme is in the very, very early stages and we have a lot of work to do with other agencies to see if it is possible." The spokeswoman said there were a number of rules and regulations surrounding the places that people could be charged in and this would also have to be addressed. A spokeswoman for Selfridges said the idea would still have to be put to the company's board.

Source: UK Business News
10 April 2006

Juice Couture open Selfridges shop

If you think Juicy Couture is still all about the track suit, you couldn't be further from the fashion truth. Now a well-rounded brand in its own right, Juicy offers everything from accessories to ready-to-wear, to denim and even couture. For their AW collection they featured fur trimmed coats and tailoring in their womenswear. A long way from the Californian tracksuits we've come to associate Juicy with.

And now JC have opened their own shop in Selfridges, London. Their first store in Europe, it is a 650sq ft shop-in-shop on the second floor of the eponymous department store. Inspired by the brand's Las Vegas shop, it features smoked glass back-lit mirrors and bespoke wallpaper.

www.juicycouture.com
7 December 2005

Sales rise for Selfridges

Selfridges saw sales rise 7% in the 12 months to January 2005 despite a poor performance form its Birmingham store. Galen Weston, the Canadian billionaire, bought Selfridges for £62m in July 2003 and the accounts to be filed mark the first full year under his control. Chief Executive Paul Kelly is confident of a good Christmas “We are not discounting. We are selling at full price. London is awash with money. The climate is right” he said.

Selfridges campaigns for car-free Oxford Street

The London Selfridges department store has called for a ban on all cars and busses on its busy Oxford Street location. Its chief executive Paul Kelly made the call on the back of the success of the Dress to Impress festival last Saturday, which saw he street pedestrianised for the first time and more than half a million people flood in.

Kelly told Draper's Record he was impressed with how many people had turned up for the event: “The street would work much better without traffic. It's so nice to see and hear people walking down here rather than the noise of buses, cabs and honking horns.

“Pedestrianisation would not stop people getting to the shops because there's plenty of parking and public transport access in surrounding streets.”

The event boosted footfall in the street by almost 39% compared to the previous Saturday. However, numbers were up by only 4.1% compared with the same day last year, according to the Central London Footfall Index.

The Liberal Democrat party has also called for a ban on traffic in the street by 2009, as London Mayor Ken Livingstone announced plans to revamp Oxford Street with more flagship stores, hotels and improved transport access. He has also extended the West End's £8 congestion charge fee to Kensington and Chelsea.

Kelly joined Marks & Spencer chief executive Stuart Rose, Arcadia and Bhs owner Philips Green and Debenhams chief executive Rob Templeman to back last week's festival, which was designed to attract shoppers back to the West End in the wake of the July bombings.

It featured musical entertainment from Liberty X, Rachel Stevens, Lemar and a performance by Charlotte Church in Selfridges. There were prize draws, makeovers and catwalks to entertain shoppers. Most retailers were offering promotions and discounts.

8 October 2005

In Style awards

Selfridges was named best Department Store at the 2005 In Style Sopping Awards last week. Marks & Spencer won Best Shop for Lingerie, and Topshop won Best High Street Shop. Whistles won Best London Boutique and Flannels in Manchester won Best Boutique Outside London.

8 October 2005

Selfridges stops selling fur

Animal rights activists and anti-fur campaigners will be delighted with Selfridges & Co.'s decision to stop selling fur items. The company will desist from selling products like fur-trimmed gloves and clothing in all four of its stores. Selfridges first shut down its fur division in 1993 although it continued to sell smaller fur items like gloves, and even continued to sell coats. The store revealed that it had decided to cease selling fur as a response to customer demand, report fibre2fashion.com.

Campaigns Director of Respect for Animals, Mark Glover, said: "Selfridges deserves massive credit for this sympathetic and responsible decision. The fur trade is cruel and unnecessary and responsible for the deaths of some 40 million animals every year." He explained that the action is the result of demonstrations held outside Selfridges on Oxford Street in London by independent protest groups. Next on the list is Harrods. Glover hopes that the luxury department store in London's Knightsbridge will also decide to halt the sale of fur items.

Harrods, however, is not planning to undertake any such action. Instead, a Harrods spokesperson said that the store would not dictate what customers could or could not purchase. "Harrods says that it is up to the customer to make his or her own decisions whether to buy fur items or not, based on their own philosophy and beliefs."

Whether Harrods is actually concerned with the consumer's right to choose is debatable. For now, it appears that its customers are still purchasing enough fur for this commodity to hold plenty of sway with Harrods buyers. Is it then up to consumers to educate retailers? It looks that way.

1 June 2005

Selfridges Goes For Vegas Glitz

After it's successful run of it's Brazilian-inspired 40°extravagance, Body Craze and Tokio Days, Selfridges is back on the promotional tour with all things Las Vegas this Spring. For anyone who thought Elvis had left the building, he's made a re-appearance at the Oxford Street luxury department store. Expect a fusion of wedding chapels with over-the-top fashion meets Liberace.

Vegas Supernova, this year's annual spring promotion at the Oxford Street store, celebrates 100 years of the neon-bright city in the desert, and runs until May 15.The event is creative director Alannah Weston's first major in-store promotion since she joined Selfridges a year ago - and she's doing it her way, according to WWD.

"The store is going to be pumping full of energy, the glamour is going to be over the top, and it's all going to have a 24-hour feel - and that's very much in keeping with Selfridges," said Weston, whose family owns Selfridges, Holt Renfrew in Canada and Brown Thomas in Dublin.

In addition to bringing in David LaChapelle to do the neon-bright, kitschy windows; production designer Michael Howells to create the wedding chapel and cocktail lounge set, and photographer Luca Pizzaroni to display his reportage photographs of Las Vegas, Weston also brought the focus back to the merchandise.

"It's very fashion-oriented this year, and there's glamour at all price points," said Weston, who worked with about 30 of Selfridges' brands to create special, limited-edition products. These include a metallic Paddington bag from Chloé (there's already a waiting list); a metallic gold-fringed bag from Lanvin and snakeskin designs from Luella; Pringle poker chip T-shirts; a Burberry Prorsum metallic leather bomber jacket; Seven For All Mankind jeans adorned with Swarovski crystals, and Vegas showgirl-inspired dresses from Matthew Williamson and Alice Temperley.

Selfridges prides itself on capturing the fashion zeitgeist, and past annual events include Brasil 40°, Bodycraze, Bollywood and Tokyo Life. Last year, the store spent about $2.7 million on the Brasil event. Weston said the store chose the theme both because of the city's anniversary and because of the Vegas-like vibe in the air. "There was so much metallic and glitter on the runways last fall - at Dolce & Gabbana, Alice Temperley and Burberry. It really seemed like the right moment."

www.selfridges.co.uk
20 April 2005

Christmas tales

Oxford-street fashion emporium Selfridges is collaborating with the Teenage Cancer Trust to publish a new Christmas story book. Selfridges has managed to hook some big celebrity names to contribute to the book, including Madonna's daughter Lourdes, the Duchess of York, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, Sharon Osbourne, Normandie Keith, Michael Owen and Natasha Bedingfield.

3,000 copies of the book, entitled "Christmas Stories", will be published, featuring illustrations by Finnish artist Klaus Haapaneimi. The book goes on sale today for £14,95, with all profits going to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

www.teenagecancertrust.org
9 November 2004

Temperley To Open Selfridges Shop

Cool brand Temperley London is to open a shop in Selfridges in August. The ultimate in delicious textures and print, Temperley clothes are modern, classily glamorous and flattering. The shop will be next to superbrands on the second floor.

www.selfridges.co.uk
26 July 2004

Super-duper Selfridges

The men may have been trailing behind the women when it comes to all things fashion, but no longer at Selfridges.The department store is set to open its first superbrands for menswear on the first floor this autumn. Brands will include Alexander McQueen and Dior Homme as well as Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garcons, Burberry Prorsum and John Galliano.

www.selfridges.co.uk
19 July 2004

Head Of Selfridges Fashion Moves To Harrods

In another blow to its creative team defecting elsewhere, Susanne Tide-Frater is leaving Selfridges as the newly appointed creative director of Harrods. She will take up the role starting September, working with Harrods buying and marketing divisions and reporting to chief executive Richard Simonin.

www.selfridges.co.uk
> Harrods news on FashionUnited
20 May 2004

Changing Times For Selfridges

Selfridges, once the epitome of cool, fashion forward department stores, is changing concepts and commerce as part of its takeover process by Canadian billionaire Galen Weston. While the new in-store all things Brazilian festival is heating things up for consumers, industry insiders are curious as to their long-term strategy for staying fashionable both as a private company and upmarket department store.

A newly appointed chief executive and the key departures of top staff such as Luisa di Paula (now buying director at Liberty) and David Riddiford (who is joining Lane Crawford in Hong Kong) has meant dealing with uncertainties for its internal departments as well as to concessionaires, agents, their brands, and suppliers.

The Selfridges brand, and what it is worth, is probably the most important issue to contend with. External observers expect the business to be a retailing force but the new ownership may be more concerned with making money than moving the market. After all, Selfridges, which strategised to its maximum whilst it operated as a public concern, is now a private company. The key for the future is that the team knows what is required of them, even if it is simply to buy the brands that make the money. But if that is the case they will no longer be the epitome of a cool, fashion forward department store, and not even an event like Brazil 40° can be the driving force to being the hottest retailer.

www.selfridges.co.uk
19 May 2004

Selfridges For All Things Brazil

If you've always wanted to experience carnival in Brazil, but couldn't afford the ticket to Rio de Janeiro, now is your chance. Selfridges is celebrating all things Brazilian for the month of May and you will soon be samba-ing your way down Oxford Street.

Brasil 40° is a major cultural event running from May 5 to May 31, aiming to bring the vibrancy and excitement of Brazil to the UK department store chain. A giant cinema is to be built at the London flagship store and will feature a Brazilian film festival, showing movies in the original Portuguese with English subtitles, and showcasing the work of some of South America's leading directors.

Among the highlights of the film festival is what Selfridges describes as "a night out with whores, cut-throats and artists, in dark bars and brothels drenched with sweat and cheap perfume" - a screening of cult movie Madame Satan, set in 1930s Rio de Janeiro.

Elsewhere in the London store, the lower ground floor is being converted into a Brasilian fiera, or market place, with authentic street traders offering the passion, energy sights, sounds, and flavours of a very different kind of retail experience.

Selfridges is also promising to prove that "there's more to Brazilian fashion than tiny bikinis". It plans for Havaianas flip-flops, Selina swimwear and Thais Gusamo's "striking underwear" to become essentials for the summer.

www.selfridges.co.uk
28 April 2004

Selfridges To Focus On Menswear

Selfridges will carry out a major overhaul of menswear on the first floor of its Oxford Street flagship as it attempts to differentiate its offer from that of its competitors.

Selfridges is believed to have plans to replace selected mainstream casualwear and lifestyle brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren and Timberland with a premium designer area.

The department store is developing a concept similar in style and product offering to its women's Superbrands room. This opened last November, stocking top-end collections Chloe, Balenciaga, Prorsum, Gucci, Marni and Alexander McQueen.

www.selfridges.co.uk
21 January 2004

Selfridges Has Global Outlook

Upmarket department store chain Selfridges will look at opening or buying department stores abroad to exploit its image as a young and exciting place to shop.

Chief executive Peter Williams stated: "We have always said that the concept might be transferable. A store like Selfridges could run big promotions like BodyCraze."

He added that while it might be possible either to buy other stores or open new ones, any move would not involve taking the Selfridges name abroad. "There are no good examples of department stores like Selfridges being successful across borders. It's hard to imagine a Selfridges in Paris, for instance. They would hate it because it is English and they would ask what it could do that a store like Bon Marche couldn't.

He further stated that the department store was open about what form an overseas venture could take and that it would depend on the investment intentions of Wittington Investments, in particular its chairman Galen Weston.

4 November 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

Selfridges To Cut Back Expansion

The new owners of Selfridges are cutting back on plans to expand the chain around the UK. Canadian retail entrepreneur Galen Weston plans to focus on the four existing sites rather than continue the expansion programme implemented by the store groups over the past five years.

As a result, plans for a store at the Broadmead shopping centre in Bristol have been pulled, while planned developments in Newcastle and Leeds are also under review. A store at the Trongate development in Glasgow, where the site has been purchased, is likely to proceed.

Selfridges has opened two stores in Manchester, as well as another last month at Bullring, Birmingham. The move beyond the flagship store in Oxford Street was the retailer's first venture outside the capital since it sold a regional department store chain in the 1960s.

30 October 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

Selfridges Set For Christmas Feast

Calorific excess is to be the theme of the Selfridges Christmas celebrations, called Feast. Special treats for visitors to the London store will include a giant gingerbread house and a chocolate fountain. Other highlights will include ice-cream parlours, candyfloss stalls, popcorn machines and toffee apple carts. Just watch out you will still fit the clothes after all those calories!

21 October 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

Weston wins Selfridges

Galen Weston has succeeded in his takeover bid for department store group Selfridges.

Oxford Acqusitions, which is owned by the Canadian entrepreneur, has received acceptances 387p-a-share offer from shareholders amounting to 56.6 per cent of Selfridges shares. Weston already owns 29.9 per cent of shares, giving him a total of holding of more than 86.5 per cent.

Weston was one of number of potential buyers for the Selfridges business, gaining a clear run earlier this month when rival Aletheia Partners, backed by property investor Robert Tchenguiz, dropped plans for a bid.

Selfridges operates three stores, with outlets in Manchester city centre and the Trafford Centre as well as is Oxford Street flagship. A fourth store opens in Birmingham in December. The Weston family empire also includes control of London stores Heals and Fortnum & Mason, along with Brown Thomas in Dublin.

June 17, 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

New Head of Buying at Selfridges

David Walker-Smith has been promoted to head of buying for menswear for Selfridges.

Walker-Smith replaces Jane Davies, who joins Liberty as buying and merchandise director. He was previously buying manager for Selfridges' contemporary menswear department.

10 July 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

Retro back at Miss Selfridge

Inspired by the fashion archives, Miss Selfridge goes retro for its autumn ranges. If you thought the neon 1980s sportswear look was dead, think again. Teamed with utility styled silks, stripy knits, deconstructed collegiate sweats and slim-cut satin bombers, the look is back to stay.

1960s mod-inspired black and white styling features skinny rib black polonecks with contrasting mini. Alongside the monochrome theme is a tailored punk influence. Miss Selfridge will have a concession in the 24,000sq ft Topshop store scheduled to open this September in Birmingham's Bullring.

10 June 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

Selfridges Battle Continues

The ongoing bidding war of upmarket department store Selfridges remains headline news. Richard Fletcher, business editor of The Daily Telegraph, urged investors to buy Selfridges (393p) last October with share prices at just 247.5p, as the company was undervalued at GBP 382m. Especially since the freehold on the Oxford Street store was worth GBP 358m. Selfridges has since successfully exported its brand to Manchester, with Birmingham and Glasgow stores set to follow.

Three weeks ago, on the eve of its much-publicised Body Craze party - which included a guest appearance by Kylie Minogue - Galen Weston, the Canadian billionaire, emerged as the likely victor in the bid battle to buy the company with a 387p a share bid. Many investors believe that Robert Tchenguiz, the Iranian property tycoon, is increasingly unlikely to succeed in his attempt to trump the offer. Investors will no doubt await developments, but in the absence of a counter-bid, the Weston offer seems reasonable.

28 May 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

Jasper Conran Launches Fragrance

Jasper Conran is to launch his first fragrance on June 1st. Initially exclusive to Selfridges, the launch will be the biggest in UK history, going to an estimated 850 stores in the UK by autumn.

Jasper recently launched his new menswear label, now in its second season. The collection focusses on super fine wools against stalk white shirts and traditional stripes and Prince of Wales checks worn with cashmere rollnecks.

For more information visit www.jasperconran.com

21 May 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

GBP 620 m Bid for Selfridges

Robert Tchenguiz, the Iranian property tycoon, is poised to make an increased offer for Selfridges, the upmarket retailer. Sources have indicated he is likely to make a GBP 620 million offer, and that it could be as early as the end of this week. It will be a dramatic raising of stakes in what is becoming one of the CityÆs most keenly contested takeover battles.

Selfridges last week confirmed a fairly significant fall in like-for-like sales brought about by the war in Iraq and a downturn in consumer confidence.

19 May 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

Selfridges Contender made Public

Galen Weston, the Canadian billionaire, has emerged as the lead contender to buy Selfridges, as published by the Financial Times, 10 May, 2003. An agreement could be reached as soon as Monday, though the parties were locked in discussions last Friday night to finalise terms.

Selfridges shares rose GBP 0.025 yesterday to GBP 3.58, valuing the luxury department store retailer at GBP 548m. An agreement with Mr Weston would come as a surprise as the strongest bid was expected to come from the retailer's management team, backed by Blackstone Partners.

Mr Weston, who has had his eye on Selfridges since 1998, is chairman and 60 per cent shareholder of George Weston, the Canadian food group, which he took over after running the family's Irish business.

13 May 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

Clinique launches whitening moisturiser

Estée Lauder-owned brand Clinique has launched its first whitening moisturizer targeted solely at the Asian market, Active White Daily Moisture. The product hit stores in Hong Kong on March 4, 2003.

Active White Daily Moisture contains a bio-activated chamomile extract which the company claims intercepts signals sent to melanocytes to produce excess melanin, the skin's protective response to UV exposure. The company said that the product also contains unique, light reflecting particles that help even skin tone, as well as ingredients specifically formulated to reduce the appearance of wrinkles in Asian skin. Active White Daily Moisture is priced at HKD 220 (GBP 17,90) for 50ml.

March 18, 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

Selfridges to close cosmetics area

British department-store operator Selfridges plans to close its Spirit Cosmetics area by the end of this year. The cosmetics area, which houses niche brands including Hard Candy and Urban Decay (acquired in February 2003 by US-based Falic Group from French giant LVMH) has not been the success the company hoped for. "The return from fashion is bigger than the return from cosmetics," a spokesperson from the company explained.

American color brand Stila (Estée Lauder Companies) and Giorgio Armani Cosmetics (L'Oréal) are set to arrive at Selfridges late in spring 2003. Lucas confirmed the retailer is also in discussions to carry US makeup artist brand Laura Mercier.

March 4, 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk

Sales boost at Selfridges

Selfridges is thanking the power of brands such as Burberry and Paul Smith for enticing in shoppers this Christmas. The group describes its performance as "resilient", in spite of sales growth slowing from a year ago. Selfridges stocks a host of designer labels next to its more conventional menswear and womenswear and electrical products.

Selfridges plans to set up ready-to-wear ranges from the likes of Stella McCartney and Gucci in Oxford Street later this year. It is also preparing to launch a Body Craze health-based promotion in May as part of its efforts to win over wary consumers. Last year, Selfridges recorded sales growth of eight per cent over Christmas as shoppers splashed out on designer goods and new high-tech products.

The first Selfridges was opened in March 1909. Selfridges currently has three shops: one in London and two in Manchester. This year, a new store will be opened in Birmingham.

January 10, 2003
www.selfridges.co.uk